Immunologic responsiveness of the breast cancer patient

Lymphocytic infiltration of the primary breast cancer and sinus histiocytosis of the axillary lymph nodes are indications of a favorable prognosis. Similarly, skin test responsiveness such as with DNCB or with tumor extracts correlates in general with stage of disease. This presentation will bring forth preliminary data on cellular immunity of breast cancer patients. Circulating lymphocytes (PBL) were stimulated with mitogens and a breast cancer antigen. PBL from patients with a primary tumor less than 2.4 cm in size reacted as though no immune stimulus existed. PBL from patients with a lump from 2.5 to 5.0 cm in size showed evidence of immune stimulation. An increase in size of the primary tumor over 5 cm and an increase in the number of axillary lymph nodes with metastasis were associaed with a diminution in cellular immunity. However, data from an adjuvant immunotherapy program show that cellular immunity can be improved in certain patients by immunization. Such patients continued to remain disease free, while patients whose cellular immunity was poor or not improved by adjuvant immunotherapy tended to develop recurrent disease.